Fans celebrate ‘Parks and Recreation’ as series ends

“Parks and Recreation,” the beloved NBC sitcom about a group of local government employees who become friends in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana, ended its seven-season run on Tuesday night, much to the dismay of its legion of fans on social media.

On Tuesday night, fans of the show mourned the end of the beloved series on Twitter. But in particular, many young women bemoaned the loss of the Knope character, who had become a role model to many women.

@smrtgrls be the leslie knope in whatever you do. Thanks for your inspiration that women can do cool thing and being a positive role model

Though the show has frequently featured high-profile political guest stars, the Tuesday finale was noticeably devoid of major guests, other than one brief cameo – from Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden. Throughout the series, Knope has had an infatuation with the vice president.

Over its seven seasons, “Parks and Recreation” has featured many political guest stars, including Biden, John McCain, Barbara Boxer, Kirsten Gillibrand, Cory Booker, Orrin Hatch, Olympia Snowe and former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, among others. The show was a favorite among politicians for its sunny, optimistic portrayal of government employees as dedicated public servants fighting for a noble cause – the preservation of America’s parks, in the show’s case.

Fans and critics shared tributes to the show using the hashtag #ParksFarewell, and as of midnight on Wednesday morning, the hashtag had over 175,000 mentions, according to the Twitter analytics tool Topsy.